2 Peter 3:4 kjv

And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

2 Peter 3:4 nkjv

and saying, "Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation."

2 Peter 3:4 niv

They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation."

2 Peter 3:4 esv

They will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation."

2 Peter 3:4 nlt

They will say, "What happened to the promise that Jesus is coming again? From before the times of our ancestors, everything has remained the same since the world was first created."

2 Peter 3 verses

2 Peter 3 4 Meaning

The verse captures the cynical challenge of scoffers who mock the delayed promise of Christ's return (Parousia). They base their skepticism on the apparent unchanging order of the natural world, arguing that since the time the earlier generations of believers died, everything has continued uniformly from the beginning of creation, thereby implying that Christ's promised coming will never occur. This is a direct attack on divine faithfulness and eschatological hope.

2 Peter 3 4 Context

2 Peter chapter 3 addresses the growing skepticism and false teaching within the early Christian community regarding the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. The preceding verses (2 Pet 3:1-2) set the stage by reminding believers of the prophetic warnings and the apostles' commands. Verse 4 introduces the specific taunt of the "scoffers" predicted to appear in the "last days" (2 Pet 3:3). These scoffers present a "uniformitarian" argument, positing that since everything has remained constant since creation, there will be no future divine intervention or eschatological event like Christ's return. Historically, this skepticism was fuelled by the perceived delay of Christ's return and potentially influenced by prevailing Greek philosophical views like Stoicism, which emphasized cyclical change within a static cosmos, denying a definite beginning or end, and thus contrasting sharply with the Judeo-Christian concept of linear history guided by divine purpose culminating in judgment and new creation. Peter directly combats this belief, preparing the groundwork for his counter-arguments concerning God's past intervention (the Flood) and His future plans (the Day of the Lord and New Heavens and Earth).

2 Peter 3 4 Word analysis

• and saying (λέγοντες - legontes): A present active participle, indicating their characteristic or habitual speech, showing that this questioning and scoffing is an ongoing, typical utterance of theirs.
• "Where (ποῦ - pou)": An interrogative adverb expressing challenge, doubt, or sarcastic disbelief, implying "there is no such promise," or "it will never happen."
• is the promise (ἡ ἐπαγγελία - hē epangelia):
  • Epangelia signifies a solemn, binding declaration, an assurance from God, not a mere human expectation. It denotes a divine pledge, emphasizing the faithfulness of the promiser. The scoffers question the reliability of God's Word.
• of His coming (τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ - tēs parousias autou):
  • Parousia literally means "presence," "arrival," or "advent." In the New Testament, it gained specialized eschatological significance, predominantly referring to the powerful, definitive, and transformative Second Coming of Jesus Christ, often carrying connotations of a royal or imperial visit (the advent of a dignitary). This term underscores the absolute certainty and world-changing nature of the event being mocked.
• For (γὰρ - gar): A conjunction introducing the reason or justification for their skeptical question, connecting their doubt about the promise to their observations about continuity.
• ever since (ἀφ᾽ ἧς - aph hēs): A temporal phrase indicating a point in the past from which an ongoing state is observed, highlighting the elapsed time.
• the fathers (οἱ πατέρες - hoi patĕres): This crucial term can refer to the Old Testament patriarchs, the apostles who laid the foundation of the church, or the earlier generation of believers who expected Christ's imminent return and had since died. The scoffers exploit the perceived "death of the pioneers" as evidence against the promise's fulfillment.
• fell asleep (ἐκοιμήθησαν - ekoimēthēsan): A common biblical euphemism for death, particularly for believers. It suggests peaceful rest and implies a future awakening (resurrection), thus intensifying the scoffers' argument: those who died expecting it did not see it.
• all things (πάντα - panta): Encompasses everything in the physical and observable universe, the entire created order, emphasizing a universal state of perceived stasis.
• continue (διαμένει - diamenei): "To remain, continue steadfastly, abide." It emphasizes unbroken, persistent endurance without alteration, portraying an unchanging status quo.
• just as they were (οὕτως - houtōs, implies "in the same manner"): Coupled with "from the beginning," it underscores uniformity and lack of deviation or major divine intervention since creation.
• from the beginning (ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς - ap archēs): "From the origin, the very first." This grounds their uniformitarian argument in the primordial act of creation itself, asserting a continuous, uninterrupted natural order.
• of creation (κτίσεως - ktiseōs): Refers to God's initial act of bringing the cosmos into existence. The scoffers argue that the established natural laws and patterns set at creation have never been disturbed.

Words-group analysis:

• "Where is the promise of His coming?": This rhetorical question is the heart of the scoffers' challenge, conveying scorn and challenging the very veracity and trustworthiness of God's Word and the core Christian hope. It embodies their rejection of future eschatological events.
• "For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue just as they were from the beginning of creation.": This statement forms the foundation of their "argument from natural uniformity." They infer from apparent continuity that God is not active in history, has not or will not intervene decisively, and therefore, His promise of return is false or irrelevant. It sets a materialistic and human-centric worldview against the supernatural truth of God's sovereign plan.

2 Peter 3 4 Bonus section

• The scoffers' argument of "uniformitarianism" (all things continuing as they were) is precisely what Peter will refute by reminding them of the global flood in 2 Pet 3:5-6, demonstrating that God has intervened cataclysmically in the past and will do so again.
• This verse directly counters the concept of "God's patience," presenting it as an excuse for human disbelief, which Peter addresses by explaining God's patience as a salvific opportunity (2 Pet 3:9).
• The nature of these "scoffers" is not mere intellectual disagreement but active "mockery" (empaiktēs in verse 3), indicating a hostile and dismissive attitude towards divine truth. Their argument in verse 4 serves as the rationalization for their ungodly behavior mentioned earlier in the chapter.

2 Peter 3 4 Commentary

2 Peter 3:4 unveils the cunning of those who deny biblical truth by twisting observation into an argument against God's promises. The scoffers exploit the patience of God and the passage of time, asserting a naturalistic view that dismisses divine intervention based on perceived uniformity in the world. Their "Where is...?" question isn't genuine inquiry but an insolent challenge, expressing their deep-seated disbelief in the Parousia and, by extension, God's faithfulness. They deliberately overlook any past instances of divine cataclysm (which Peter immediately addresses in the subsequent verses with the example of the Flood). This verse establishes the direct polemic against a naturalistic, uniformitarian worldview that attempts to explain away biblical prophecy and the living, acting God, revealing a core conflict between secular reasoning and spiritual truth. It sets the stage for Peter's affirmation of divine timing and ultimate judgment.